Taiwanese officials have refuted news reports that President Tsai Ing-wen met with members of US president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team during a weekend stopover in Houston.
A media report said on Monday that Tsai met with Edwin Feulner and Walter Lohman from the conservative Heritage Foundation on her way to a tour of Central America starting on Sunday.
Feulner is a top advisor to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
According to the media report, the Office of the President refuted the claims.
“It’s wrong that the president lunched with people from the Heritage Foundation.
“Some news reports containing certain names of people meeting with the president are wrong,’’ a spokesman said.
According to his text message, Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz did meet with Tsai, however, although he said Chinese authorities tried to interfere with the meeting.
“The Houston congressional delegation received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with President Tsai, and to uphold the ‘One-China policy.
“In America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,’’ Cruz added.
Cruz said the meeting included a wide-ranging discussion that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations.
China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since the end of the civil war in 1949.
Trump caused waves when his team announced early December that he had spoken with President Tsai, in the first known conversation between a U.S. president or president-elect. (dpa/NAN)
